Valentine's Resolutions
by NostalgicChick
Summary: What do you get someone who has everything? Sometimes the answer is much simpler than one might think. Chapter 4/5 is up.
1. Fireworks

**A/N:**

Kind of late, but I guess it's still the 14th in some places.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is just part one of a two part story, just for the day of love and mushiness. I wasn't initially going to write anything for V-Day, but then the idea popped out of nowhere and here it is. Part two will be finished and posted shortly, unless I fall asleep on my keyboard. Then it would be posted in the morning along with chapter one of Mismatched Connections and chapter eight of Kaleidoscope.

Hope you all enjoy this!

* * *

Danny stared at his computer, one hand tapping rhythmically against his desk as the other covered the mouse, slowly scrolling down the page. His deep blue eyes searched images and descriptions plenty, but nothing called out to him. Dozens of thoughts swarmed through his mind, but only one remained dominant as he once again asked himself the same question:

What do you get someone who has everything?

A groan escaped his lips as he started closing out the various tabs. This was getting frustrating. He had searched all of her favorite websites and visited all of her favorite stores, but Danny just couldn't find what he was searching for. He didn't even know what he was searching for, and realizing that only made the 16-year-old that much more annoyed with himself for waiting so long to find Sam a gift.

But he didn't wait so long, and that just made his annoyance grow. He had been searching for the right gift for over a month now, but nothing ever caught his eye. He wanted to find something good – no, something perfect – to let Sam know how he felt. And now Valentine's Day was just one day away.

The two weren't dating, not officially anyway. There was always an attraction, an undeniable chemistry between the teens that everyone seemed to notice. Everyone except each other, though that didn't take too long to wear off.

How could it when so many fake-out-make-outs turned into real make-out sessions long after the need to distract was over with? Or when hanging out alone together started to feel more like actual dates until Tucker eventually showed up? It was worse when the trio would watch movies at Sam's place and the pair would fall asleep on the couch, only to be woken up by either Tucker's strangled laughing or the horrified screeches of Mr. and Mrs. Manson and realizing they were nearly cuddling in their sleep. No matter how much denying and excuses the two raven-haired teens spluttered, the blushes that adorned their faces were a dead giveaway of their feelings, even if neither hadn't always understood them.

It seemed that Sam had realized and accepted her feelings for Danny much earlier than he had, thus earning him the nickname, "Clueless One." It had confused the male at first, but he wasn't an idiot. It hadn't taken much time for the halfa to realize the meaning of his nickname, but he was glad to say that he wasn't so clueless anymore. Even if the only one he could admit this to was himself. For now.

Lately, his feelings for the goth only seemed to grow despite his attempts to bottle them up. He cared about the girl and their friendship meant everything to him, so he didn't want to screw up a friendship of nearly twelve years over some stupid high school crush.

But it wasn't just a crush, and he knew it.

Somehow, his feelings blossomed into something much more, and the male was almost afraid of acknowledging their extent. They haven't even been on an actual date, for Pete's sake, and he was falling in love her. In love with his best friend. In love with Sam. He knew it, and it scared the hell out of him.

But it also felt… Right. Natural. Fear and anxiety aside, knowing that it wasn't just some dumb crush only made his stomach tingle and heart burst with a strange giddiness. It felt good, and he cherished the feeling it gave him when he thought of or saw the purple-eyed girl. It was a nervous feeling, but it was also full of peace and warmth, and he would sometimes jokingly call himself a masochist for delving in such a feeling when it caused him so much worry.

He didn't even know why he was worried, but he read once that it was natural. She is one of his best friends, after all, and he just didn't want to lose her. He didn't want to make things awkward or to think of her possibly rejecting his feelings. He didn't even know if she felt the same way, not entirely. Well, not until recently.

Danny smiled at the memory as leaned back in his chair.

 _It was New Year's Eve, and the Fenton's were expecting a slew of relatives to show up at any moment for their annual New Year's Eve party. It was one of the few times a year when his parents acted normal, for the most part._

 _They would all listen to music and eat appetizers while waiting for the clock to strike midnight. His dad and uncles would each brag about their recent ghost hunting expeditions while his mom and aunts would playfully roll their eyes and catch one another up on anything new going on in their lives. The kids and teens would do their own thing, which usually meant hiding out while their parents chattered on._

 _Danny had just finished getting dressed and was surprised to see most of their guests had already arrived. His mother had ushered him to the kitchen to pull out some of the chilled champagne and non-alcoholic grape cider from the fridge so everyone could enjoy a glass. He was just about to pull out the glasses for the adults and the paper cups for their children when he heard his dad yelling for him._

" _Danny-boy! Your little girlfriend is here!"_

 _The halfa muttered something unintelligibly as he eagerly headed towards the living room, fighting the blush that was storming its way to his cheeks as he tried to ignore the snickers and goofy comments his distant relatives would make. He pouted at his dad's amused face, but shook it off when he noticed the hint of pink on Sam's cheeks. Whether it was from the cold outside or his dad's words, Danny had no idea._

" _Hey Sam, what are you doing here?" He rubbed the back on his head, wondering what was up. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I thought your parents had plans that you couldn't get out of?"_

 _Her smug grin, he decided, could light up the room far better than any firework._

" _My grandma talked them into letting me out of the house. I didn't even ask her to, she just kind of surprised me with it so I thought I'd come here and see you."_

 _Danny knew that Sam could have easily went to see Tucker or even the big goth party that was taking place downtown, so knowing that she chose to spend the start of the new year with him made his heart swell. She really was something special._

" _Awesome, go grandma!" He chuckled and helped her out of her coat. "Why didn't you go to that goth thing you were talking about?"_

" _What, without my two best friends? I don't think so. Besides, I like hanging out here. I adore your family."_

" _Meh, they're okay," he joked as she swatted him mockingly. "You want to help me with the drinks?"_

" _Sure."_

 _The pair spent the evening drinking cider and reminiscing about their year. It had been hectic, what with all the ghost fights and personal happenings. They, along with Tucker and the Fenton parents, helped Jazz with her move to college. It had been bittersweet, though Danny had taken it the hardest. While he appreciated and cared about Tucker and Sam, Jazz had been Danny's rock at home. She always made sure the food wasn't about to attack anyone, and she always covered for him whenever he needed to get away from home – or more specifically, whatever new invention his parents were working on. He was just lucky that he still had his two best friends to talk to and help._

 _It wasn't long until the new year was just about to kick off, and everyone gathered around the large television to watch the ball drop. Danny was just about to see if Sam wanted to snag a spot on the couch when he felt her tugging on his arm and saw that she was motioning for him to follow her._

 _The teens had made their way to the ops center, arms linked and Sam leading the way. Danny was about to turn on the lights, but was confused when Sam asked him to keep them off. They finally stopped at the large, thick glass windows and the goth finally pulled away._

" _What are we doing here?" he questioned, not that he really minded._

" _I just thought it'd be more fun to watch the fireworks from here than just some silly ball dropping on the TV. And there were way too many people for comfort."_

 _Danny chuckled at the girl, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Are you excited for the new year?"_

" _What, for everything to be the same and everyone to make and break promises of a fresh start even though time is just a manmade concept and social construct in which if they actually wanted to do something about these goals they wouldn't wait a whole year to start? Sure."_

" _Aw, come on, Sam. I know you really enjoy the holidays." He stepped closer to the girl, laying his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug._

" _Yeah, I guess I do." He watched as she pursed her lips in thought, and instantly wanted nothing more than to kiss the girl beside him. "So, what's your resolution?"_

 _Her words snapped the much taller male out of his trance, and a sly grin made its way to his face. "That's a secret."_

" _What? Why?"_

" _Because I heard that if you tell everyone your resolutions, you're less likely to fulfill them."_

" _But… I want to know," she pouted slightly and turned to look at her friend._

" _And I really, really want to go through with this goal. But I'll make you a deal."_

" _A deal? As in?"_

" _When I'm done with my resolution, I'll tell you what it is."_

" _Ugh, fine. But it better be good, considering you never keep secrets." She thought for a second before adding, "From me, anyways. What about Tucker?"_

" _He'll find out later, after you do. I want you to be with me when I do it anyways. Promise?"_

 _It took a lot of willpower to not break down laughing, but Danny soldiered through it. There was absolutely no way he could complete his resolution without Sam's presence. But he wasn't going to tell her that._

" _Promise," she agreed and moved closer, leaning her head against his arm. There was a peaceful silence as the two stood in deep thought, watching as a light dusting of snow fell from the sky. The quiet was short-lived when they heard Jack's booming voice announcing that it was almost midnight, quickly followed by a countdown._

 _10_

 _Danny looked from the window to Sam, elated to see the girl staring back at him with an all-too-familiar expression._

 _9_

 _The two shifted slightly, moving until they were face-to-face._

 _8_

 _Danny's arm fell from Sam's shoulder as he tentatively wrapped both arms around Sam's waist._

 _7_

 _He shivered slightly as Sam stood up on her tippy toes, wrapping her own arms around his neck._

 _6_

 _The halfa leaned forward until their foreheads touched, something they always seemed to do in such tender moments._

 _5_

 _Both teens moved closer, lightly gripping their hold on one another as if they'd both disappear. Danny was suddenly grateful that he no longer went intangible when embarrassed._

 _4_

 _Blue eyes stared into purple, a mutual understanding as to what was about to happen while the cheers downstairs grew louder._

 _3_

 _Danny could feel Sam's hands playing around his hair and inwardly swore that it was just as nice as when she'd idly run her hands through it whenever he'd lay his head on her lap during movie night._

 _2_

 _Smiled formed on each of their faces as they simultaneously closed their eyes and etched closer._

 _1_

 _A kiss, simple and passionate, and definitely not a fake-out-make-out. It could rival the timid one they shared just a week prior, under the mistletoe. Danny was sure that even without the loud booms and the array of lights in the sky shining through the large windows, there'd still be fireworks. There always was._

Danny grinned stupidly as he thought about that night. He had been disappointed when Sam said she couldn't make it to the party, but seeing her show up unexpected and wrapped up in her oversized black coat had made his whole night. It was both the perfect end to the year, and a perfect beginning.

Suddenly, an idea made its way to his thoughts and the halfa's eyes grew wide with excitement as he sat up in the chair.

"I've got it!"


	2. Bursting in Blushes

**A/N:**

I was totally going to finish this last night, but I was slightly inebriated and ended up passing out on my computer. 10/10 would do again.

Anyways, remember how I said that this would be a two part story? Yeah, that went out the window fast. I actually got really into the story, so I am extending in to three parts. But no more than three, y'all. I still need to update Kaleidoscope and Mismatched Connections, the former still needs to be edited a little and the latter is ready to be posted. I'll have them up in no time, and part three of Valentine's Resolutions should be completed and up by the end of the day.

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

* * *

If it were possible, Danny would think that his emotions were more jumbled than they were the time Vortex first appeared and unknowingly linked the halfa's moods to the weather. That was a bit of a disaster, but the 16-year-old was hoping that today would be totally different. He was nervous, anxious, fearful, and excited – all at once. He was a frazzled mess, but a good mess. He even awoke this morning with a spring in his step despite the fact that he spent most of the night delving into his creative side as he worked on the perfect gift for Sam.

It took forever to come up with the perfect idea, but now he was ready, truly ready, to tell the beautiful goth how he felt. He was ready to lay it all on a line, to face the possibility of rejection, all in favor of taking a chance and asking out the girl of his dreams. The halfa was without a doubt nervous at the thought, but deep down he knew the odds were in his favor. As corny as it sounded, he knew that both he and Sam were practically high school sweethearts. All he needed to do was to tell her how he felt and make it official.

As he rounded the corner and Casper High came into view, the boy came to an abrupt stop. His mouth dried and his legs didn't dare move, almost as if he was being held by anti-ghost ropes. There, only a few steps ahead, was Sam sitting idly on the steps and reading some book. He couldn't make out the book, though it was probably a graphic novel or something about mythology. Maybe even a fantasy romance novel, despites Sam's protests that she wasn't into such things. He'd seen 'em, even read a few. But all thoughts came to a halt as he watched her, his best friend of most his life, sitting there.

She wasn't doing anything other than reading, and for some reason he just could not get himself to step forward. It was as though the surge of confidence he felt this morning had disappeared, and, as the raven-haired girl suddenly peaked up from her book and glanced in his direction, so did he. _Crap._

He couldn't do it. He couldn't risk their friendship. He couldn't lose her. Not like this, not because he can't control his feelings. Surely, they could just carry on just as they have since freshmen year, right? A few special moments, longing glances, the occasional kiss. That wasn't so bad, was it?

But it was, and he knew it.

It was hard to sit there every day and deny his feelings for her whenever someone shouted out the word, "lovebirds!" It was hard not to openly show affection with the girl he'd known for most of his life, especially when he had always been so afraid of losing her as a friend. It was hard to pretend not to be jealous to the max whenever guys tried to flirt with his best friend, especially when they could get so pushy. The only saving grace for that was the fact that the whole school seemed to assume that Danny and Sam were dating, so no one said a word when he'd shoot the guys his best glare that read, 'If you know what's good for you, get the hell away from my girl.'

But she wasn't his girl, not yet.

Realizing that he'd probably have to spend the day chasing off a couple of guys ready to take advantage of the holiday by asking Sam out, the confidence that escaped before once again flowed in the halfa's body. He knew he shouldn't wait too long, that he _couldn't_ wait too long, so like that he held his breath for a moment and blinked back into sight. His hands squeezed the straps of his backpack as he forced himself to march towards the girl who somehow had him wrapped around her pinky without even knowing it.

As he drew closer, he watched as Sam suddenly looked up and smiled, closing her book and patting the spot next to her. It was still pretty early, so he figured they still had about ten minutes before Tucker arrived and another fifteen before the school would be overrun by teens and faculty.

"Hey Danny! I thought I saw you earlier, but when I looked again you weren't there. Is everything okay?"

"Hey, uh, Sam." _Crap. Excuse time._ "Everything's cool. I just took one look at this place and suddenly wanted to go back to bed, but I'm here."

She gave him a pointed look and playfully nudged his shoulder, "You're lucky that you didn't run back home. I'd hate to have to track you down and re-introduce your shins to my boots for leaving me alone with Tucker on this stupid day. You know this year he actually made a list of all the girls he's going to ask out? He actually wants to run around giving cheesy pickup lines to anything with breasts!"

Danny chuckled for a moment. Yeah, that's their Tucker.

" _Anything_ with breasts? Even the teachers?"

"Oh, I'm sure Principal Ishiyama would have a field day with that."

"I was thinking more-or-less Lancer, but that'd be pretty funny, too."

"Oh, gross! Way to give me nightmares, man!"

Both teens looked up at the sound of their friend, laughing as he put his hands on his hips and making his 'Tuck is love, tech is life' shirt visible to the pair.

"Lovebirds…" he muttered jokingly, causing his friends to instantaneously switch from laughing their butts off to turning a deep share of red as they once again spluttered their denials. Now it was his turn to laugh.

"I can't believe you still call us that!" Sam yelled at the boy, embarrassment still fresh on her face.

"I can't believe you two still deny that you're totally in to each other!" His laugher grew, and within a second Danny shot a small dot of ectoplasm from his fingers, hitting his friend right on the nose.

"Ahhh! Man, no fair!"

The trio spent the rest of their morning teasing one another and joking around as the more and more people arrived. They'd watch as their peers interacted, sharing a knowing look whenever a new couple suddenly formed, all in the spirit of some dumb holiday.

"This sucks, I was hoping Star would agree to come with me to the dance tonight, but it looks like Kwan already asked her."

"I think it's sweet," Sam thought aloud as she looked at the couple and ignored the shocked expressions her friends were giving her. "Kwan and Star have practically been together for a year now. It's about time that they pull their heads out of their asses and made it official. Even if it's for a fake, overly-commercialized holiday created by the stores to pressure people into proving how much they love someone with expensive and unnecessary gifts when they could have been together all along."

"Hey, don't be such a party pooper! This is the one day a year when I can use my lines and _not_ look like a complete idiot."

"Yeah, Sam," Danny agreed as he briefly scooted just an inch closer to the girl, his eyes dancing as he repeated the same words he used back on the last day of December. "I know you really enjoy the holidays."

Sam's blush was far more visible than it had been earlier. She looked like she wanted to say something in response, but instead opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Danny wanted to snicker at the slight deer-in-headlights look she donned, knowing that she was also thinking about that moment the two shared in the ops center. Instead, he smiled warmly at the girl and his heart skipped a beat as she smiled back.

Their moment was cut short when the bell rang, signally all students to head inside to get their belongings settled for first period.

The rest of the day was uneventful, with the exception of teachers constantly having to scold disruptive students her were way too hyped about the dance this evening. It seemed to be the only thing everyone could talk about; that and what gifts they got for Valentine's Day. It was mostly the popular kids talking about the latter, for some reason feeling the need to show off and make themselves look more important than they were. It was annoying, but to be expected, so the only thing everyone could do was ignore their squeals and chatter.

By lunch, the craziness had somewhat calmed down and the trio found themselves in their usual spot outside by the trees. Everything almost seemed like it was back to normal, that is until Tucker gorged his sandwich down like a champ and hurriedly ran off in the hopes of finding a date for the night. Sam was mortified by how quickly he scarfed down the meat, and Danny laughed as he watched his friend run off with a bit of ham hanging loosely from his mouth.

"He. Is. Disgusting."

"He's Tucker. Did you expect anything different?"

Her response was a shrug as Danny watched the shorter girl take a bite of her salad.

"Do you think he'll find a date for tonight?"

"I don't know. I mean, he's Tucker, after all. But I heard some girls talking about him in the bathroom, so I'd say it's a possibility."

"In the bathroom?" Danny squinted at the goth. "Why do girls run to the bathroom to talk about this stuff?"

"And guys don't?"

"Well… Not really. Tuck and I don't." He scratched the back of his neck, tying to find the right verbiage. "I don't mean to sound sexist or anything, it just seems like girls don't always go to the bathroom to… Uh… Go to the bathroom?"

For a moment, Danny thought he might have said something stupid. He thought that maybe he had somehow made an innocent observation sound sexist, and he knew that Sam would give him an earful for it. He began silently chiding himself for his ignorance, wanting to once again disappear from sight. He almost did, too, until Sam nodded in agreeance.

"Not always. I think it's because it's never crowded and more private than most places in the school. The teachers usually go to the faculty restrooms, and there's no dumb boys around to listen in," she smirked at the boy. "Unless you're counting the boys who don't care to snoop around, like the ones who have at one point or another sneaked into the girl's locker room."

"It was only one time!" Danny pouted before taking a sip of his drink. "Besides, Tucker dared me to do it."

"And you just had to pop in there when I was changing, ghost-boy?"

It felt like Danny's face may never recover from today's onslaught as they once again warmed up from embarrassment. "I didn't know you were in there. I would have saved my shins from the wrath of your steel-toed boots if I had known."

"That's what you get for being a pervert." She replied with a hint of amusement. "And don't you dare deny it!"

Danny huffed and sat up, grabbing their garbage and trying to come up with something, anything, to talk about instead. Fortunately for the halfa, Sam did the job for him.

"So, are you going to the dance tonight?"

He could tell that Sam was trying hard to maintain a neutral tone when she asked her question, but her ever-so-expressive eyes gave herself away. She was torn between hopeful and anxious, and while he wanted to dissuade any negative thoughts Danny had a plan and he wanted to go through with it.

"Nope," he answered honestly.


	3. Love is Literally in the Air

**A/N:**

I lied, a lot. I said that this would only have two parts, but then it turned into three parts. Now part three is up and guess what? I'm extending this to five parts. I was finishing my edits for this chapter when I realized that adding what'll happen _in_ the Ghost Zone would make me want to rush this. No, this is a slow burn. Not turbo slow, but more of a savory slow. Lots of fluff and cute moments all around until we hit that major moment in which Danny finally asks Sam out. It's going to happen, and you guys are going to love it. I hope.

Upon re-reading this, I realized three things:

-I had three-too-many spelling errors and typos in the previous chapter.  
-I never included a disclaimer to this story yet.  
-I have yet to properly respond to my reviews here.

So, without further ado:

I don't own _Danny Phantom_. _Danny Phantom_ was created by Butch Hartman and is owned by Nickelodeon.

 **ShadowDragon357:** Kind of... It's more like their feelings for one another has been in stuck in limbo; growing, but not really going in either direction until recently. They've both realized how much they mean to each other, they just need to admit it and make everything official. And, seriously, Danny? Whhhy?

 **Ssiminuf:** The heck is right. Haha, thanks!

 **Crascutin Fanfiction:** You're good, friend! Thank you so much for the kind words. Unfortunately, I was a little late in updating this, but I hope you enjoy this new chapter. The ending will come soon, and I promise that I will make it as sweet as can be.

 **Guest:** Done! Chapter three is now up!

 **Guest:** IT HAS BEEN UPDATED, AMIGO.

Haha, I hope you guys like this chapter just as much as the first two. I'm actually really pleased with how this turned out. And totally disappointed in myself for not posting this sooner. Don't worry, this will be finished before the end of October. And, if you read my other story (Mismatched Connections), you know that I have a one-shot coming out by Thursday morning/afternoon.

* * *

Lying to Sam and Tucker about his plans for the evening was harder than he expected it to be, Danny realized a little too late. Part of the halfa wanted nothing more than to hop in the Ghost Zone and plead for Clockwork to make it so he had just simply asked Sam to the Valentine's dance. That would have been just as good, right?

 _No,_ he decided, knowing full and well that the mysterious ghost would just smirk and say what Danny sometimes thought was the only phrase the ghost knew. _Everything is as it should be._ Ugh.

Besides, as much as the teen wanted to huff and puff about not going the easy route with his confession, he knew that in the end he was ultimately making the right decision. He wanted to make it special, memorable. Not just doing the generic and boring thing like what all his peers seemed to be doing. Even though he had a gut-feeling that Sam would be happy either way, he knew that neither of the two usually went for the norm. He wanted to tell her how he felt, and he wanted to do it the right way; his way.

And that's exactly what he was going to do.

Looking in the mirror as he finished getting ready, Danny couldn't help but chuckle at how much he had changed over the years. For starters, he actually had to bend his knees a little bit to properly see his own reflection. He seriously needed to move the mirror up a few inches. His deep blue eyes, though still playful, now had a sense of hardness to them as if they were re-telling the stories of his more difficult ghost fights. He blinked back such memories in the hopes of making tonight not just a memory in itself, but a happier memory.

Grinning, the halfa looked at the clock as he fished the phone from his pocket. 7:15. Perfect. It took barely a minute for the boy to unlock his phone and find Sam's photo in his contacts, and it took even less time for the girl in question to answer. His grin only widened as she answered immediately, knowing that she was probably just bored and browsing on her phone. He was once again thankful that the goth boycotted the holiday and wouldn't dare go to that pink-and-red filled dance unless he had asked her to.

"Danny? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is cool. I was just wondering if I could get your help with something tonight."

"Uh, sure, what's up—wait. Let me guess. You managed to get away from your parents and wanted to go to that stupid dance tonight, and now you need someone to go with your sorry butt?"

"Yeah, that's exactly it," Danny replied sarcastically. "Know any girls that would want to go with me?"

Sam snorted, and Danny could tell that she was going to retort with just as much sarcasm.

"I'm sure that if you begged enough, _Jazz_ would go to keep you company."

"Gross, Sam!" He hissed playfully, causing the girl to laugh harder. It made his cold, ghostly core nearly melt as he listened. "And here I was hoping that a pretty goth girl would want to hang out with me and help me make fun of our mutual friend's tacky dancing." He wanted to sound whiny as he said it, but knew that his confident side was seeping out. The male could almost imagine the blush on Sam's face.

"Okay, fine. I'll go with you to that stupid dance, but don't think for one moment that I'm going to be dancing to any of those mushy songs.

"Aw, but Saaaam."

"Danny."

"Okay, fine," he chuckled. "I'll be there in 15."

The teen wanted to do a jig as he gave himself a one-over, making sure he looked okay, before turning to Phantom and flying through his window. He kept mentally checking off everything from what he had planned to what he wanted to say, knowing that he was going to make tonight be something neither teens would ever forget.

Danny was only half-aware of his surroundings until the large Manson mansion came into view, making the halfa smile brightly as he turned intangible and landed on Sam's large balcony. With a flash, Phantom became Fenton and the teen began knocking carefully on the girl's window, letting her know that he had arrived to pick her up. It took a lot not to smirk as he thought of his plan. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that silly little dance simply wouldn't do. Especially not when he had better plans for their evening.

He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts as the windows opened, revealing Sam in what Danny thought was the most amazing dress he had ever seen her in. Actually, no, the dress itself wasn't amazing. It was more like Sam was the one that made the dress look amazing, considering just seeing the goth's face with her ebony locks curled a bit and sitting right at her shoulders was enough to tug on his heart. A single skull barrette adorned her hair, looking perfect against the black.

His eyes wondered down, noting the dark purple bodice of her dress and the black spiderweb-like lace that covered her arms. Danny was openly gaping at the girl, who had on a satisfied smirk and appeared to be fighting off a blush. It only made him that much more speechless, and suddenly he realized that Skulker's violent fighting could never knock the wind out of the teen as much as Sam could.

"Hey," she answered almost shyly, though her smirk remained intact. "You ready to go, or are you going to keep drooling all over my balcony?"

Danny frantically began wiping his mouth, only to find that he hadn't been drooling at all.

"Not funny," he growled and jokingly pouted, causing Sam to laugh once again.

"Sorry, not sorry. I just can't believe you actually had to check."

"Whatever. I blame you for it anyways."

"For you being a hormonal guy? I think you have to blame mother nature for that, Danny."

Rolling his eyes, Danny stepped forward and leaned forward against her windowsill.

"So, I know that we were about to head off to the dance, but there's been a slight change of plans…"

His heart ached as he watched her smile falter, a sad look in his friend's eyes as she seemed to unknowingly prod at her necklace; the same necklace he had given her for Christmas.

"Oh? What happened?"

"Nothing really… I was just thinking that the dance might be a little lame. Besides, I found something better for us to do."

If she was upset, Sam hid it well with curiosity taking over as she arched an eyebrow and leaned against the wall. "And that would be?"

"I was wondering if you'd help me with my New Year's Resolution. You promised you'd be there, remember?"

He watched her carefully, studying her face as she more than likely was thinking of their kiss that night. It had meant to be small and simple, but they both knew that there was much more behind it than that. The fireworks that had went off outside were nothing compared to the sparks that flew between the two as they had kissed. And then it became something neither of the two spoke about; a silent agreement between two best friends who didn't want to screw up their friendship.

Until now.

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember." Her voice seemed strained, as though it were hitched in her throat as Danny grabbed her hand. There was a brief moment when her confident demeanor seemed to falter, only for the goth to smile and give his hand a light squeeze. "I'll go change into something more comfortable then—" Danny shook his head, once again fighting his knowing smirk. "Why not?"

"Sam, when have you ever worn anything that you weren't comfortable in?" Danny joked as he was once again swatted by the shorter girl. "You hunt ghosts in a mini skirt, leggings, and a tank top that shows off your midriff. I doubt that this dress is more uncomfortable than that."

"It's not uncomfortable, you butt. It's just… Not as practical? You know what I mean."

"C'mon, you look fine. Just grab a jacket and you'll be golden. I'm still in this suit, after all."

"Just because you want to look like an idiot when we do… Well, whatever you're needing to do, doesn't mean I have to."

"But Saaaam, you look fine. Please?"

Giving his best pout that he knew she couldn't refuse, he watched as Sam let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her amethyst eyes. Inwardly, he did a victory dance as she shouted a "Fine!" and went to grab her jacket. He decided to hold off on the actual dancing part, smiling as she came back with an annoyed look.

"You're just lucky that I made that promise."

Even though she appeared to be upset, he knew Sam well enough that she was more curious than anything. He had been so reluctant on telling her his resolution that she probably thought it was something embarrassing. That, or maybe he just didn't plan on actually going through with it and didn't want her to talk him out of avoiding his goals. But she definitely knew the latter wasn't it, and he knew that she knew.

"Yeah, I am. You ready to go?" He echoed her question from earlier as he pulled her carefully to the balcony, once again switching to Phantom.

"I guess. Where are we going, anyways? Can you tell me what your resolution is now?"

"The Ghost Zone," he answered simply and chuckled at her confusion. "No, but I'll tell you when we get there, okay?"

"The Ghost Zone?" Sam repeated skeptically, "Danny…"

As they lifted off, he wrapped his arm tightly around her small waist. "It's not anything crazy, Sam. Trust me, you'll have fun."

"Fun? In the Ghost Zone? Where almost everyone there wants to kill you?"

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p' as they roamed over their hometown at a slow, yet steady pace.

"Whatever," Sam replied, though Danny could tell that her curiosity and excitement were probably growing.

Oh yes, tonight was going to be great.


	4. Dancing Against the Wind

A/N:

This _would_ have been published earlier this week, but I was at Disney World for the Halloween Party and that, dear readers, is a ridiculously long drive. I promised that I would have this finished by the end of October, though I am not necessarily sure I can make that deadline because I have a 10-hour-shift starting in about an hour. It's cool though because I'm off work again tomorrow and will have plenty of time to finish and publish the last chapter of Valentine's Resolutions, along with some other things I have been working on.

 **Guest- F:** I'm glad I have updated this, too! I am actually thoroughly pleased with this fic, so I would hate for it to be left unfinished. Thank you so much for the kind words! That is exactly what I was going for, so I am glad that you see it that way, too!

 **Crascutin Fanfiction:** No, thank _you_ for reviewing! It means a lot to me to know what people think of my stories! As far as the surprise goes, that will be saved for the next and final chapter. ;)

 **ShadowDragon357:** Ha, if you had written this months ago my reply would have been, "I kind of wonder that, too." Luckily, I have had plenty of time to think it through.

I'm not as pleased with this chapter compared to the previous chapters, but I still thought this was pretty good. I hope you guys enjoy this, and be sure to let me know what you think!

* * *

The two teens glided in the sky above Amity Park at a steady pace, neither one saying a word as they relished in the feeling of the cool, crisp evening air around them. The atmosphere was as calm as ever as the stars above the pair began to slowly make their presence known, adding to the serenity of it all. Despite the peaceful setting, Danny felt anything but relaxed as he fought to keep his nerves at bay.

 _Everything is going to be all right, Fenton. Just chill out,_ he mentally prepped while feeling Sam tightening her hold on his waist, causing the halfa to do the same. _It's just Sam. Your best friend, Sam. This is going to work out just fine._

Occasionally, the white-haired male would steal quick glances at his long-time best friend and feel his confidence shift back and forth like a seesaw on a children's playground. The idea of confessing his feelings and putting everything on the table only seemed to make his anxiety grow more and more. What if he read too much into their moments? What if she only kind of liked him, but not enough to give a romantic relationship a chance? What if all of this just blew up in his face? If she rejected his feelings, would she give up their friendship? Or continue on with the friendship – albeit their friendship would be much more awkward – out of pity? But… What if Sam says yes?

It was the last question that stumped Danny the most. What if Sam _did_ say yes? Will this change everything? Could things possibly work out between he and the girl who has been around for almost his entire life? Is he sure he wanted to take this step with someone so irreplaceably important to him?

Glancing again at the gothic girl in question nearly made the halfa's heart stop as he saw two deep, amethyst eyes already staring back at him. Sam must have been just as lost in thought as he was a moment ago, considering she had not yet noticed his green eyes observing her as if she were the most ravishing girl on the planet.

To Danny, she was exactly that and so much more. Even with her hair blowing manically in the wind, he still thought Sam looked more beautiful than ever. Hell, she could be covered in ectoplasm with tentacles growing out of her forehead and Danny would still think of the petite goth in his arm as the most alluring girl in both the human world and the Ghost Zone. He didn't think anything could change his mind, not that he hadn't tried before.

For the longest time, Danny would try anything to free both his mind and heart of his feelings for Sam. He would date other girls in an attempt to force himself into falling for someone else, which did not happen in the slightest. He would tell himself time and time again that she didn't feel the same way, but it was hard whenever a tender moment was shared between the two (which happened a lot more often ever since their shared kiss at the beginning of the year). He even once tried to envision all of the brutal ways her father would kick his ass if he were to so much as look at her the wrong way, but even Mr. Manson's most daunting threats weren't enough to give the male teen a change of heart.

An image of the poised and polished Jeremy Manson comedically raising his fist in anger flashed through Danny's mind, causing the halfa to accidentally let out a short, nervous chuckle. This did not go unnoticed by Sam - who most likely assumed the chuckle was directed at her self for staring at her friend so intently – as a faint blush welcomed itself to her pale cheeks. The raven-haired girl gave a shy smile so contagious that Danny couldn't help but smile back.

It was at this moment that an idea entered the male teen's head as he abruptly halted their flight. The look of confusion that appeared on his companion's face only made his grin widen as he turned their position upright, grabbing Sam's other hand while making sure his grip on her waist was sturdy enough. Now it looked like the two were standing on air as they floated just far enough from Fenton Works that his parents would not see.

"Danny, what are you doing?" Sam asked, though the confusion in her voice was laced with a hint of curiosity. "I thought we were going to the Ghost Zone? You know, for your top-secret resolution that you refuse to tell me about?"

"We are," he fought back a smirk while intertwining their fingers. "I just realized that I owed you a dance for making you get ready and dragging you with me to the Ghost Zone."

"A dance, huh?" Sam snorted as she bemusedly watched his eyes flash briefly. "And what if people see us – Sam Manson, resident goth and 'Inviso-Bill,' the town's personal hero – dancing together in the sky?"

"I say we give them a reason to watch."

And with that, the two began to rapidly twist and turn, though it was mostly Danny leading while ensuring that both of Sam's feet rested carefully upon his own to keep her balanced. It was a completely reckless thing to do, he realized as the swirled elegantly in the open air, but hearing the giggles sneak out of her soft lips made everything worth it. All he could focus on was he and Sam in that very moment. The way their bodies nearly pressed against one another so perfectly; the way heat was somehow radiating between the two despite the chill of the wind flowing by them.

Nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing but his determination to keep that smile on Sam's face for as long as he could. Nothing but leading her higher in the sky as they danced their impromptu dance. Nothing else, except for perhaps his sudden need to close what little space was left between their bodies.

Danny slowed their movements, but just idly spinning with the girl of his dreams. If he could see his own face, he would swear that it copied the same look of contentment that was currently adorning Sam's. Untwining their hands, the halfa moved a stray strand of hair that managed to find its way to her cheek while trying his hardest not to caress said cheek.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?"

Being the Sam he knew and loved, she seemed to decide that the best response for such a compliment was her trademark sarcasm, "I figured that I must have looked somewhat okay considering how much you spaced out earlier. I still can't believe you had to check for drool."

"If I looked half as good as you do, you'd be a lot more understanding of my spacing out, thank you very much," he defended sheepishly. "Were you dressing up to impress anyone in particular tonight?"

A cackle escaped her throat as the goth rolled her eyes, "You know, I was just about to ask you the same thing. Was that a new suit I saw earlier, or have I inherited my grandmother's vision?"

Nodding, Danny wrapped his other arm around her waist, thus bringing the short girl closer, "You can't expect me to go to a dance with a cute girl without at least trying to look the part. Besides, I think I did pretty well, if I may say so myself."

"You may," she mused while moving her arms to rest around his neck. "But don't think that flattery is going to get you out of telling me what your resolution is. You promised, mister."

"I know I did, and I'll tell you when we get there, miss," he chortled as the two slowly floated back down to earth. "I couldn't spend the evening without at least one dance."

"'At least one dance,'" she cocked her eyebrow at his words. "How many surprise dances should I be expecting, ghost boy?"

Shrugging in response, Danny scoped out a good place to land so that he could change back to his human counterpart. "I dunno' yet. We'll just have to wait and see," he answered while bringing the pair to an empty alleyway.

"If only your answers were as good as your dancing skills," Sam mused.

"If only," Danny agreed while sticking out his tongue, successfully causing Sam to once again laugh at his goofiness. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way. Every night around this time, my parents turn on the 'Fenton Ghost Alarm System and Clock Radio'."

Luckily, Sam knew better than to question his parents' antics because even Danny himself would not have been able to answer it. Instead, a comfortable silence filled the air as the teens landed firmly on the ground. Danny didn't waste a minute in changing back, lest someone suddenly walk by and question why the resident hero was practically hugging a human girl.

"So, how do you plan on us slipping past your parents?" Sam asked as she stepped off his feet, but continued to hang on to the halfa. It seemed as though she was as reluctant as Danny to let go.

"The F-G-A-S-C-R is kind of like an alarm clock, but they took the 'alarm' part to heart… It's in their room, on their nightstand. The lab should be clear for a little while."

Nodding, Sam gingerly let go of the taller teen, though not without surprising the male with a small kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, you know, for the dance."

"You're welcome," Danny breathed out as he followed the girl who stole his heart.

 _Yes, this is definitely worth it._


End file.
